title: Age-related hearing loss and the factors determining continued usage of hearing aids among elderly community-dwelling residents.
abstract: While hearing aids are recommended for people with age-related hearing loss, many with impaired hearing do not use them. In this study, we investigated how many elderly people in the study area needed hearing aids, and the factors that determined continued wearing of the devices. The study area was Kurabuchi Town, Japan, where 1,437 residents (those aged 65 years or over) were eligible for participation in the study; 1,414 participated, of whom, 103 (7.3%) were already using hearing aids at the start of the study. After the primary screening, hearing aids were lent to 68 participants (4.8%) who did not already have one, 38 of whom (60.3% of the borrowers, representing 2.7% of the total aged population) went on to wear the hearing aid continuously. The Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE) score was significantly elevated among these 38 participants. This study indicated that hearing aids are of potential benefit to many local residents. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that HHIE scores were associated with the extent of HA usage. The adjusted odds ratio for a 1-unit increase in HHIE score was 1.08 (95% confidence interval: 1.02-1.14). Programs like this, in which people with impaired hearing are identified at the local level and given appropriate assistance, are useful models for future use in societies with aging populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan ; Division of Otolaryngology, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kunio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizutari
authors.forename: Takehiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Michikawa
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Yasuhide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Chieko
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Enomoto
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takebayashi
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishiwaki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male